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On Saturday October 31, 2015, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, assisted by His Grace Bishop Nicholas, consecrated the Church of St. Ignatius of Antioch located in Florida, New York, pastored by Very Rev. George Kevorkian. Also celebrating were 14 members of clergy from the New York Metropolitan Deanery. There were 200 of the faithful in attendance and the day was made more beautiful by a combined choir from the area churches.

In his homily, Metropolitan Joseph stressed the importance of a church consecration as the setting aside of the church as a sacred place. The altar was washed with soap and water, sprinkled with rosewater, and anointed with Holy Chrism.

As one of the most popular destinations on Antiochian.org, the Department of Sacred Music's online library of PDFs includes liturgical music for every month of the year, and is a frequent destination for choir directors, chanters, and church musicians. Plans are underway to refresh and expand the online resources available to musicians in the Antiochian Archdiocese. In May, 2015, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph appointed Paul Jabara of Montreal, Quebec to be the new Chairman of the Archdiocese's Department of Sacred Music, and he is working closely with the Department of Internet Ministry to improve the music library. With your assistance, we will be able to improve this valuable archive in the coming months. Thanks for your help!

Altar servers process in front of an icon of the Archangel Michael at St. Michael Church in Van Nuys, CA.Saints who healed and refused payment, the first bishop of the missionary church that would become the Antiochian Archdiocese, the bodiless hosts that protect us, a Great Feast of the Theotokos, and a major American holiday fill the celebrations of the Orthodox Church in the month of November. The Liturgical Texts to guide us through services on these holy days, blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, are now ready for download from the Online Liturgical Guide.

On the first day of the month, we commemorate Ss. Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia in Asia Minor. These "unmercenary" saints received no money for the medicine they practiced and the healings they performed. They are not to be confused with Ss. Cosmas and Damian of Rome (July 1) who were also unmercenaries.

Each year on the first Saturday of November we commemorate St. Raphael Hawaweeny. He said of himself: "I am an Arab by birth, a Greek by primary education, an American by residence, a Russian at heart, and a Slav in soul." His multicultural influences and love of Jesus Christ helped him become the "Good Shepherd of the Lost Sheep in America." The Archdiocese celebrates St. Raphael close to the date of his birth, November 8.

And that day happens to be the feast of the Archangels. The Orthodox Church celebrates Raphael – the namesake of the first bishop of Brooklyn – Michael, Gabriel and all the bodiless powers of heaven that minister directly to God the Father and protect us on earth who are called to be heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14).

Nativity resources at discounted prices are now available for families from the Archdiocese's Publications Center and Bookstore at Antiochian Village. (Download the flyer and order form.)

Some of them include:

The Biggest Birthday Party, an Advent Calendar for kids age 3-6:This activity book includes 4"x4" pieces of a Nativity icon, to be colored and assembled on a provided master sheet during the twelve days leading up Christmas. An introduction and suggestions for using the Calendar open the book. References to the appropriate Bible verses for each piece and a narrative related to each section of the icon are included.

Praise the Lord Christmas Workbook, for grades 3-6 and families:Games, puzzles, activities, explaining the themes, events and people, and the ways all creation will welcome Jesus.

As you may know, our Father in Christ, His Beatitude Patriarch John X suffered a fall and some injuries to his eye and shoulder. The official statement of the Patriarchate has been published in Arabic and can be read here.

The statement reports that His Beatitude is in good condition and that he will need a period of hospitalization and convalescence.

His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph asks all of the faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to join him in prayer for our Father in Christ Patriarch John X and to ask our Lord and God Jesus Christ, the only Physician of our souls and bodies, to bring healing to His Beatitude.

In Christian education circles, we have spoken of the need to educate adults for years with phrases like, "Christian education doesn't end with church school," "Total Parish Education," and most notably the name of our yearly event, "The Orthodox Institute for Continuing Education in the Faith." Converts from fundamental churches are pleased to find that Orthodoxy offers a treasure chest of resources for growth in the faith, from the church mothers and fathers, to icons, to hymnography. Yet, in many churches the focus is on educating the children with perhaps only one class, taught by the priest, for adults.

More than two years in the making, an exciting new lineup of Orthodox digital libraries is now available from Faithlife, the makers of Logos Bible Software.

Based in the coastal town of Bellingham, Washington, Faithlife has been making digital tools to help people study the Scriptures for over twenty years.

Around two and a half years ago, Faithlife hired an Orthodox Christian named Gabe Martini, known for his blog On Behalf of All and his close work with Ancient Faith Ministries. Gabe was brought to Faithlife in part to help develop a new lineup of what they call “base packages,” focused entirely on Orthodox Christians.

Gabe and his family converted to the Orthodox faith several years ago under the mentorship of the newly reposed Fr. Alexander Atty, then head priest of St. Michael the Archangel Antiochian Orthodox Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Gabe was originally in Louisville to attend a Baptist seminary, but was drawn to Orthodoxy by his studies in Church history and through a simple visit to St. Michael’s one Sunday.

“I had never experienced anything so beautiful and real in my entire life,” Gabe said. “I knew from our very first visit, that was where we needed to be. I knew it was the apostolic Church.”

What excites Gabe most about these new Orthodox libraries from Logos is that they can be used to reach thousands, even millions for the Gospel.

Prayers are requested for the 2015 fall meeting of Archdiocese Board of Trustees and Order of St. Ignatius Governing Council, to be held from October 22-25 at host parish St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church in Van Nuys, CA, in conjunction with St. Nicholas Cathedral. This is an historic event, in that it is the first time that the Trustees are meeting in the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West.

On Sunday morning, October 25, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph will celebrate a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with the Antiochian Hierarchs at St. Nicholas Cathedral. A special Luncheon will follow in the Heritage Ballroom.

This year's Clergy and Laity Fall Gathering, our diocese's annual Delegates' Meeting, was hosted by St. George Church of Indianapolis/Fishers, IN, under the leadership of Fr. Nabil Hanna and with the assistance of Dn. Joseph Hazar. The Fall Gathering (formerly Midwest Delegates Meeting) is an opportunity for our diocese's clergy, lay leaders, teens, and others to meet for spiritual fellowship and to work toward a common vision for the year. This was the best attended Delegates' Meeting in many years, with a total of 203 participants made up of 32 Clergy, 70 youth, 41 Ladies, 32 Young Adults, and 28 Men.

The aim of this gathering was to offer something to every group so that the members of this diocese could come together as a family. The meetings began on Thursday, October 15 and 16 for the Clergy. Sessions were offered on the subject of youth ministry by the Director of the Antiochian Village, Fr. Anthony Yazge, as well as a session by His Grace Bishop Anthony.

The theme for the weekend was "Village at Home," where the staff of the Antiochian Village brought aspects of summer camp to the parish.

His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph recently appointed two new financial officers to assist the Board of Trustees of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. As of August 4, 2015, Mr. Salim Abboud of Little Falls, NJ, is appointed to serve as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Board, and Archpriest Michael Tassos of St. Luke Orthodox Church in Garden Grove, CA, is appointed to serve as Assistant Treasurer. Both men hold extensive backgrounds in accounting and finance.

Where on earth would you find Bishop Anthony worshipping with Greek, Antiochian, Romanian, Serbian, Russian, and Chinese families in one place? At Family Camp, October 2-4, 2015, north of Minneapolis, Minnesota! For over a decade, members of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in West St. Paul, MN, have helped organize a pan-Orthodox Family Camp that includes parishioners of over a dozen Orthodox churches in the Minnesota area.

This year, we were blessed to have Bishop Anthony of Toledo as our main speaker. Over 160 people spent the weekend in a beautiful retreat setting with our Orthodox friends from all different churches learning about how to live as Orthodox Christians in a secular world. Captivating, inspiring, and entertaining, Bishop Anthony recapped the change in American culture over the decades and spoke with passion about the world we live in. Not to leave us depressed, he offered solid instruction for survival in such a changing world.

The book includes five plays for the Christmas season, and is written for maximum participation of students, complete with staging notes, props suggestions, costuming ideas, scripts, playbill covers and activities and discussion questions for after the show!

Sale prices are valid through November 1st, 2015. Download an order form (PDF) and order your copies from Antiochian Village Bookstore today!

The Antiochian Archdiocese Department of Publications has provided a new order form for all liturgical books (PDF), including special Services and English/Arabic Service books. The Department of Publications is now housed at Antiochian Village, and orders made via the new form will be filled by the Antiochian Village Bookstore.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, His Beatitude Patriarch John X and the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, during their meeting at the historic Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery in northern Lebanon, elected Archimandrite Jonah Suri, head of Bkeftine Monastery of Our Lady in the Archdiocese of Tripoli, Lebanon, as Metropolitan of Zahle, Baalbek and Dependencies, Lebanon. He succeeds His Eminence, Metropolitan Spyridon, who retired with honor this year after leading his archdiocese since 1966.

His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, on behalf of the hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, expresses his heartfelt prayers and best wishes to Metropolitan-elect Jonah, and asks our Lord to bless his episcopacy.

The Very Reverend Dr. Joseph Purpura, chairman of the Department of Youth and Parish Ministries, has announced that the January 2016 Annual Orthodox Christian Camping and Youth Worker Conference for parish youth workers, SOYO Advisors, and Teen Advisors, is set for January 21-23, 2016. The Conference will be held at St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas, TX, and the theme is "Feed My Sheep: Crisis, Trauma, and Everyday Life."

Parishes are encouraged to send their Parish Youth Workers, Youth Director and Teen SOYO Advisors. More information will appear on the Orthodox Christian Camp Association website's conference page, once additional details are confirmed.

St. Nicholas CathedralOn September 28, 2015, the popular website BuzzFeed featured a story by reporter Leticia Miranda, "Christian Syrians in the U.S. Fear for their Families Back Home." Miranda described the situation for many families who are in anguish over the situation of their loved ones living in war-torn Syria. The plight of Christians "has been an ongoing concern for human rights advocates since the beginning of the war in 2011," noted the article. "Since then, more than 700,000 Christian Syrians have left the country, according to Open Doors International, a U.K.-based organization tracking the persecution of Christians."

A message from the Very Reverend Dr. Joseph F. Purpura, chairman of the Department of Youth and Parish Ministry for the Antiochian Archdiocese:

On behalf of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Department of Youth and Parish Ministry and SOYO, the youth movement of the Antiochian Archdiocese, we offer up our prayers to those victims who were injured or killed in the shooting today at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.

We fervently ask all of the young people of the Antiochian Archdiocese to keep all of the college students at UCC Oregon, those killed, injured, and all the rest of the students and faculty, as well as all of their loved ones and families, in your daily prayers.

Our Prayers are with the victims of the shooting at UCC Oregon, as well as with their families. Please pray for them!

Each year hundreds of thousands of college students in North America travel during their spring break for oftentimes, empty experiences. Since 2001, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) has offered their annual Real Break trips as spring break alternatives, providing life-transforming and spiritually uplifting opportunities to do "something real" during this time. Since its inception, over one thousand college students have had the opportunity to spend their time away from school helping others and growing in their Orthodox Christian faith.

Pan-Orthodox Clergy Retreat for New York Metropolitan AreaNovember 2, 2015

Hosted by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America & His Eminence Archbishop Michael, OCA Archbishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey

FOCUS North America recently celebrated the end of a successful summer feeding program, providing nutritious meals to 200 children a day in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona ranks third in the country in food insecurity, with more than 450,000 children facing hunger on a daily basis.

In partnership with The Sodexo Foundation’s Feeding our Future Program, Sodexo USA and the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the program provided more than 16,000 meals to children at two Phoenix YMCAs.

The program required volunteer manpower and FOCUS volunteers turned out in force! Some 50 Orthodox volunteers from seven parishes in the Phoenix area contributed to the program’s success, with some volunteers helping out more than ten times.

“Our Orthodox volunteers rearranged their schedules to be able to serve. Some took time off from work, others came and volunteered with their children. We had volunteers of all ages. That was one of the highlights—seeing how many Orthodox volunteers enthusiastically turned out to help their neighbors in need ,” said FOCUS North America’s Executive Director Nicholas Chakos. “We’re so thankful for their support.”

Across the US, more than 21 million children receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year. During the summer, children are at greater risk of hunger as their families struggle to provide meals that are typically provided by schools. Lack of nutrition during the summer months sets a cycle for poor performance once school begins and makes children more prone to illness and other health issues. FOCUS’ summer feeding program was designed to fill that nutrition gap. The program also alleviated the strain on parents, who could rest assured knowing that a nutritious breakfast and lunch were being provided for their children.

EDWARD S. KHOURI, age 83, passed away peacefully and has returned to his heavenly home on September 18, 2015 at home in Parma, Ohio surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Aramoun, Lebanon, and immigrated to the United States in the year 1955. In 1962, shortly after his arrival to Cleveland, Edward founded the iconic Middle East Restaurant in Cleveland, which he owned for over four decades. His warmth, generosity and love for all will be greatly missed.

Edward became a close friend to our beloved Metropolitan Philip of thrice-blessed memory, since he was the priest at St. George of Cleveland. Their friendship continued and strengthened until the day when His Eminence joined the community of the saints.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) College Conferences 2015 will be held from December 28-31st at both the Antiochian Village in PA, and St. Nicholas Ranch in CA. The Keynote Speakers are Rev. Fr. Apostolos Hill (West) and Sr. Vassa Larin (East). Registration is now open for the conferences. In 2015, $100.00 scholarships are being offered to those students in need.

Statement of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the United States Regarding the Draft Proposal of the Committee on Canonical Regional Planning

Presented at the Meeting of the Assembly of Bishops Convened in Chicago, IL

September 15-17, 2015

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has always prayed for and been committed to unity and cooperation of all of the Orthodox Christians in North America. The unity that we seek is true Orthodox unity based on mutual respect, love and cooperation with all of the Orthodox in America without subjugation or domination of any. Unity must allow for the continued work and support of each of the jurisdictions for their people and continued unity with the respective mother churches.

There is no doubt that the Christian Fellowship and work of the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America as well as that of the Assembly of Bishops has been very valuable. We have come to know each other and have discovered how we can even better cooperate and support each other. We can enhance the ministries of each other as well as promulgate corporate ministries. Our relationships provide even more effective ministries. We are grateful for the candid and honest exchanges of the bishops at the meetings. We are committed to continuing this process of building up our relationships and working together in every area possible.

The public schedule of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph that is published on the Archdiocese website, has been updated through November, 2015. The schedule is linked in the Resources and Links section of the sidebar on the official Metropolitan Joseph page. Check back regularly for future improvements and updates.